Utilizing partners can be a great way to exponentially and quickly expand your reach beyond what you can do organically.
But before you venture out looking for new partners—or even if you already have a partner program in place—we’ve put together this checklist to make sure you’re providing a top-notch partner experience, which will ultimately make your partner (and you!) successful in your shared endeavor.
A channel partner agreement template
A channel partner agreement kicks-off your relationship. This can be in the form of a legal document, or a service level agreement (SLA) between two groups. Pro-tip: keep it simple. A long agreement can easily hold up a deal.
Partner handbook
A partner handbook is your partners’ go-to resource. It can include things like brand guidelines, product FAQs and contact information.
A resource library, including hi-res logos
House commonly used documents (like your partner handbook) and frequently needed assets (such as logos and product literature) in an on-demand resource library or partner portal.
Pricing sheet
Your partners want to know early on how they're going to make money. Keep it straightforward, in a simple and easy-to-understand spreadsheet. If your pricing structure is overly complex, you’re making it more difficult for your partners to get a sale.
Slide deck to “sell” potential partners
As you look for new resellers or distributors, have a slide deck ready to go so you are always ready to present the value of a relationship to a potential partner.
Slide deck for your partners to sell
This is also a great tool to share with prospective partners early on, because it demonstrates that you have the tools in place that will ultimately make them successful. This slide deck will be what your partners use with their prospects early in the sales cycle.
Competitive analysis
Your partners want to know what they're up against. Lay out your competitive analysis in a simple matrix highlighting competitors down the left-hand side and features across the top.
Buyer persona
Just like how you need a buyer persona to craft your messaging and identify prospects, your partners need an understanding of who they are targeting and where to find these individuals or businesses.
Common sales objections
Create a quick-hit list of common sales objections and how to overcome those objections.
An understanding of your culture
While it can be challenging to engrain your culture into a partner who works off site, start with communicating your core values and how you implement those values. Another quick win is inviting partners to events like company picnics and holiday parties.
Swag-bag for new partners
Especially for new partners, put together a swag bag full of t-shirts, mugs or any other branded materials you have. This keeps your company and product top-of-mind. It also goes a long way to send random swag bags throughout the year.
Marketing wins
Share what marketing tactics you’ve tried, and what has worked (as hasn’t worked!) in your unique market. Sharing best practices will help your partner hit the ground running.
Selling add-on services
If your product comes with the opportunity to sell add-on services on top of the initial sale, create a one-sheeter that highlights those add-on opportunities for your partners, especially as they are learning about the product offering in total.
A partner page on your website
If you have a variety of partners supporting your business in different ways, consider a partner page for each relationships, giving an overview of what it means to your buyers.
Co-branded marketing material
If you have product literature like sell sheets and brochures, considering making them directly available to your partners with the opportunity to private brand or co-brand.
